For decades and even centuries, people who struggle with drinking problems have carried the stigma of being weak and immoral. The presumption had always been that an individual could control their drinking if they so desired. It was this attitude that led addiction treatment specialists to treat the person’s addiction without knowing the causes. How did that work out? Until recently, the relapse rates after alcoholism treatment were horrible, something around 70%. It was this ridiculously high number that led experts to wonder, “is alcoholism a disease?”

Is Alcoholism a Disease?

When the medical profession began looking at this question, some things became apparent. Alcoholism was carrying many of the same traits as other mental disorders that experts had already classified as diseases. At issue was the notion alcoholism was a self-inflicted wound. Through a series of studies, medical professionals then began to see something very different.

To eliminate the suspense, yes, alcoholism has standing as a real disease as per opinions from psychologists and medical doctors. Alcoholism is a disease with no cure. Professionals can only hope to arrest and then treat the mental disorder in hopes the individual will never drink again. As a dormant lying disease, it only takes a sip of alcohol to send the victim right back into the cycle of addiction.

Treating Alcoholism

Again, addiction treatment professionals are well-aware that addictions are diseases with no cure. That means alcoholism is a disease as well. The treatment strategy is simple: help the client pass through detox, give them therapy for the underlying causes of the addiction, then offer them aftercare services and hope in the end, they don’t drink again.

In the worst cases, our Bayview Recovery alcohol addiction rehab center in Tacoma, WA, starts treatment with detox programs. We feel it’s necessary to keep clients safe while they deal with dangerous alcohol withdrawal symptoms. All eyes must be on getting the client ready to face the truth about their addiction.

They will get the chance to face that truth in therapy. They need to understand as much as possible about why they feel the need to risk harm through self-medicating. The answer to this very question will provide the basis for the client developing better coping skills. These are the skills they will need to keep their disease at bay.

Bayview Recovery – Treating Alcoholism and More

We are well aware of the answer to the question is alcoholism a disease? We know it is, and therefore we treat it as such. In fact, we treat all addictions as diseases. We do this by offering a full menu of cutting edge treatment methodologies. We direct everything we do towards giving the client the basis for a strong recovery. For example, some of our services:

• Partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, outpatient programs
• Refer out for detox
• Dual diagnosis therapy for co-existing conditions
• Individual and group therapy
• Trauma therapy

Now that you have the answer to is alcoholism a disease, it should motivate you to get help. That’s what we do in our Bayview Recovery facility. We help people like you arrest their disease and return to a normal way of living. If that’s what you want, you can contact us at 855.478.3650.